Apparatus for the automatic determination of moisture in paper or textile webbing



APPARATUS FOR THE AUTOMATIC DETERMINATION OF MOISTURE IN PAPER ORTEXTILE WEBBING Filed March 5, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Feb; 11, 1930. A.R. HARVEY 1,746,937

Feb. 11, 1936. A. R. HARVEY 1,746,937

. APPARATUS FOR THE AUTOMATIC DETERMINATION OF MOISTURE IN PAPER ORTEXTILE WEBBING Filed March 5, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Feb. 11,1930 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ARTHUR Ross HARVEY, or MIDDLETOWN, OHIOAPPARATUS FOR THE AUTOMATIC DETERMINATION OF MOISTURE IN PAPER OBTEXTILE WEBBING Application filed March 5, 1928. Serial No. 259,308.

The purpose of the present invention is to provide improved means toindicate, and if desired, to record graphically, the percent of moisturecontained in paper while the same is in the process of manufacture.

The apparatus is designed to be placed in such a position relative tothe paper as to determine the moisture contents thereof before itspassage to the dryer, or at any subsequent time during the manufacturethereof befor the same is cut into sheets.

The invention constitutes an improvement over my prior United StatesPatent No. 1,509,869, dated September 30, 1924, wherein the moistureresponsive means was mounted in a roll over which the paper or textilewebbing was arranged to travel, and the present invention has for itsobject to mount the moisture responsive means independent of the roll sothat the same may be positioned remotely from the roll, if desired, andat any point of the webbing.

A further object of the invention is to eliminate the necessity ofspecially constructing the roller within which to mount the workresponsive means and also to overcome the other objections incident tothe use of a roller in obtaining the desired result and in lieu thereofto provide a set of web contacting plates comprising a central contactplate constituting the heating element with a web contacting platedisposed forwardly and rearwardly thereof provided with means indlcatingthe temperature of the web at each side of the heating element, each ofsaid forwardly and rearwardly disposed contact plates being electricallyconnected with suitable indicating means", of a type as referred to mmyabove mentioned Letters Patent, whereby to show the variation in thetemperature of the web before and after being subjected to the heatcreated in the heating element and m this manner to be able to actuallycalibrate the percent of moisture in the webbing.

A still further object of the invention is to provide an apparatus ofthis character which is of simple and practical construction, which isefiicient and reliable in performance, relatively inexpensive tomanufacture, install and maintain in' operation, and which is otherwisewell adapted to the purposes for which the same is intended.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a side elevational View of the respective Contact platesmounted in posi- 7 the plates for determining the temperature variationof the web,

Figure 5 is a diagrammatic View showing the circuit connection for thevarious contact plates.

Referring to the drawings in detail, for the purpose of illustration, Ihave shown my invention, comprising, a hollow heating member 5, which inits present embodiment is shown as being of a circular formation, havingone end open and upon which is mounted a heating plate 6 adapted to haveits upper surface in sliding contacting relation with the under sideof apaper or textile webbing 7. An insulation ring 8 is interposed betweenthe plate 6 and the upper edge of the member 5.

To the under side of the contact plate 6 is secured an electric heatingelement 9, which may be of any suitable construction well known in theart, and provided with terminals so 10' for attaching electric wires 11leading to a suitable source of current.

Fromthe under side of the member 5 extends aplurality of bolts 12inserted through openings formed in a pair of attaching plates 13extending longitu inally with respect to the webbing and dis osed at theopposite side of the member 5. djusting nuts lt are arranged on thebolts aboveand beneath the plates 13 whereby to enable the verticaladjustment of the sides and forward and rear edges of the member 5 sothat the upper surface of the plate 6 may be at all times disposedhorizontally with the under side of the webbing 7. The plate members 13are fixedly 05 secured in a suitable manner to a frame member 15extending transversely beneath the webbing 7 I At the under side of themember 5, adjacent its forward and rear edges thereof isprovided with apair of s aced parallel lugs 16 between which a pin 1 is supported forpivotally mounting a pair of spaced parallel arms 18 intermediate theirends. The arms 18 extend outwardly from the forward and rear edges ofthe member 5 in an upwardly inclined position and carry an adjustableweight 19 at their lower end whereby to normally urge the upper endsthereof in an upwardly extended position.

Between the upper ends of each pair of arms is pivotally mounted arectangular frame 20 upon pins 21 carried by each of said arms wherebyto permit the vertical swinging movement of the forward and rear edgesof the frame 20. A webbing contact member 22 is arranged within theframe 20 with its forward and rear edges pivotally mounted upon pins 23carried at the adjacent ends of the frame 20. It will thus be apparentthat by pivotally mounting the sides of the frame or vertical swingingmovement and pivotally mounting the end of the contact member 22 to theforward and rear edges of the frame at the upper surface of the contactmember will automatically adjust itself in contactin position with theunder side of the webbing? so that the entire surface of the contactmember will at all times be'in wiping engagement with the webbing.

If desired, springs 24 may be attached at the forward end of the contactmembers 22 and with a projection 25 formed at the adj acent edge of themember 5 whereby to counteract the tendency of the moving webs.to tiltthe plates away from the web and to provide a constant adjusting meansfor the upper surface of the contacts to conform with the adjustment ofthe member 5.

As more clearly illustrated in Figure 4: of the drawing the contact 22is constructed in the form of a hollow bow of insulated material, openat its upper end and upon which is mounted the contacting plates orcover section 26 which is-in direct engagement with the under side ofthe webbing. To the under side of the cover 26 is attached a resistancethermometer coil 27 of any suitable construction well known in the artand of a heat responsive nature, and to which coil is connected circuitwires 28 keyed to a suitable indicating device shown at 29 in Figure 5of the drawings, and which may be in the form of a 'Wheatstone bridge,preferably calibrated to read directly in terms of moisture contained inthe paper,'the principle" involved in the calibration of which isclearly set forth in my above referred to prior patent.

As clearly shown in Figure 5 of the drawing the power circuit connectedwith the heating element 9 and the circuit for the re sist-ancethermometer coils are entirely separate, the circuit for the heatingelement having a watt meter 30 and rheostat 31 interposed therein forcontrolling the input. Such ci'rcuit also includes an automatic switch32 mounted in a switch box 33 carried at one side of the member 5 andoperated by a switch arm 34 arranged against the under side of thewebbing 7 and normally retained in contact therewith by a weighted arm35. The weighted arm 35 operates to swing the push arm 34 upwardlyshould any break occur in the webbing whereby to operate the switch intoa circuit opening position so as to disconnect the heating element 9until the break in the webbing has been repaired.

An apparatus is thus provided whose basic principle depends upon therelationship between the moisture content of the web and the heatcapacity thereof, it being noted that in the device disclosed in thepresent drawing, a constant rate of heat will be supplied to the plate 6as the web moves thereover and as the differential temperature indicatedat 29 is under the influence of the resistance thermometer coils,respectively subjected to the heat of the web before and after beingheated by the plate 6, said indicator will show accurately the moisturecontent of the paper when calibrated as described in my above referredto patent.

It will be observed that the various web contact members are adapted forassembling as a unit and may be attached in position with respect to thewebbing at any desirable part of the paper manufacturing machinery,independent of any association with the rollers thereof, as heretoforeproposed in the art.

It is obvious that the invention is susceptible of various changes andmodifications, without departing from the spirit or scope of theinvention or sacrificing any of its ad-' vantages, and I accordinglyclaim all such forms of the device to which I am entitled.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new is:

1. An apparatus for the automatic deter-' mination of moisture in a webwhile moving during its course of manufacture comprising a plurality ofcontact members engageable with different sections of the web, means forutilizing one of said contact members for supplying heat to the web andmeans for utilizing said other contact members for determining thedifference in temperature of the web before and after engagement with:

said first named contact member.

2. An apparatus for the automatic deterthe web before and after contactwith said intermediate contact member.

3. An apparatus for the automatic determination of moisture in a webwhile moving during its course of manufacture comprising a plurality ofweb contact members disposed in longitudinal alinement with respect tothe directions of travel of the web, means carried by the intermediateof said contact members for heating the web and heat responsive meanscarried by said other contact members adapted to indicate a variation inthe temperature of the web before and after contact with saidintermediate contact member, and adjustable means for supporting thecontacting surface of each of said contact members providing for theadjustment thereof with respect to said web.

4. An apparatus for the automatic determination of moisture in a webwhile moving during its course of manufacture comprising a pluralityofcontact members assembled as a unit in longitudinal alinement withrespect to the direction of travel of the web and disposed with theircontact faces in engagement with the under side of the web, a heatingelement carried by the intermediate of said contact members adapted toheat said web, automatic cut off means for said heating element operableby a break in the web, heat responsive means carried by each of saidother contact members adapted to indicate a variation.

in the temperature of the web before and after engagement with saidintermediate contact member and adjustable means for supporting each ofsaid contact members providing for the adjustment thereof upon axislongitudinally and transversely with respect to the direction of travelof said web.

5. An apparatus for the automatic determination of moisture in a webwhile moving during its course of manufacture, comprising a plurality ofcontact members assembled as a unit, in longitudinal alignment withrespect to the direction of travel of the web and disposed with thecontact faces in engagement with the under side thereof, a heatingelement carried by the intermediate of said contact members adapted toheat said.

web, automatic cut off means for said heating elements operable by abreak in the web, heat responsive means carried by each of said othercontact members adapted to indicate a variation in the temperature ofthe web before and after engagement with said intermediate contactmember, means supporting said end contact members for universalmovement, and yieldable means at the forward edges of each of said endcontact members operable to overcome rearward pressing movement uponfrictional engagement of the contacts with the web.

6. An apparatus for the automatic determination of moisture in a webwhile moving during its course of manufacture comprising a plurality ofcontact members assembled as a unit, in longitudinal alignment withrespect to the direction of travel of the web, and disposed with theircontact faces in engagement with the under side of the web, a heatingelement carried by the intermediate contact member adapted to heat theweb, automatic cut-off means for said heating element operable by abreak in the web, heat responsive means carried by each of said othercontact members adapted to indicate a variation in the temperature ofthe web before and after engagement with said intermediate contactmember, supporting means for the end contact members providing for theautomatic adj ustment of the contacting faces in the plane of the web,and adjustable supporting means for said intermediate contact memberadapted for securing the same in a predetermined adjusted position withrespect to the web.

Intestimony whereof I aflix mysignature.

ARTHUR ROSS HARVEY.

